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F♯ major 11th chord on guitar (F♯maj11)
Also called or written F♯maj11 or F♯M11
F♯ major 11th contains F♯, A♯, C♯, E♯, G♯, B. The 2nd-fret grip demands a full barre and a pinky stretch to fret 4.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
- Root positionF♯–A♯–C♯–E♯–G♯–BF♯maj112-2-3-3-2-4
- First inversionA♯–C♯–E♯–G♯–B–F♯F♯maj11/A♯6-4-4-4-6-4
- Second inversionC♯–E♯–G♯–B–F♯–A♯F♯maj11/C♯no shape on this instrument
- Third inversionE♯–G♯–B–F♯–A♯–C♯F♯maj11/E♯no shape on this instrument
- Fourth inversionG♯–B–F♯–A♯–C♯–E♯F♯maj11/G♯4-2-3-3-2-2
- Fifth inversionB–F♯–A♯–C♯–E♯–G♯F♯maj11/B7-8-6-6-7-6
How do you play an F♯ major 11th chord on guitar?
F♯ major 11th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 2 3 3 2 4: barre your index finger across fret 2, middle finger on the D string at fret 3, ring finger on the G string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 (barre) | B (4) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 2 | E♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | A♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 4 | G♯ (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret the A string and high e cleanly while the pinky reaches fret 4.
F♯maj11/A♯ inversion · fret 4
F♯ major 11th is played at the 4th fret as 6 4 4 4 6 4: barre your index finger across fret 4, ring finger on the low E string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 3 | A♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 1 (barre) | B (4) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 4 | E♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 1 (barre) | G♯ (2) |
F♯maj11/A♯ inversion · fret 6
F♯ major 11th is played at the 6th fret as 6 8 6 6 7 7: barre your index finger across fret 6, pinky finger on the A string at fret 8, middle finger on the B string at fret 7 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 7.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 4 | E♯ (7) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | G♯ (2) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 2 | F♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 3 | B (4) |
F♯maj11/G♯ inversion · fret 2
F♯ major 11th is played at the 2nd fret as 4 2 3 3 2 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, pinky finger on the low E string at fret 4, middle finger on the D string at fret 3 and ring finger on the G string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 4 | G♯ (2) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 (barre) | B (4) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 2 | E♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | A♯ (3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
F♯maj11/G♯ inversion · fret 4
F♯ major 11th is played at the 4th fret as 4 4 4 4 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 4, ring finger on the B string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 1 (barre) | G♯ (2) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 1 (barre) | B (4) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 3 | E♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 4 | A♯ (3) |
Why it sounds like that
F♯ major 11th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 over F♯. The 11th, B, adds a suspended color above the major 7th. Compare it with F♯ major 9th, which stops at the 9th.
What goes wrong with F♯ major 11th?
- Let the high e string buzz under the barre.
- Allow the pinky to flatten onto the B string.
- Mute the D string with the middle finger's underside.
When to use it
F♯ major 11th works as the tonic in F♯ major, especially in the I–IV–V–I progression F♯–B–C♯–F♯. It suits jazz, neo-soul, and slow ballads where the added 11th softens the major 7th. Try it in place of F♯ major for a lush ending.
Changing to and from F♯ major 11th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 1st fret gives F major 11th.
- From F♯ major, lift the pinky and move the middle and ring fingers down one string each.
Which voicing to use
The 2nd-fret voicing keeps F♯ in the bass for a grounded root position. The A♯ inversions put the third in the bass, making the chord sound brighter and less stable.
Other F♯ chords
Common questions
How is F♯ major 11th written?
F♯ major 11th is written as F♯M11 or F♯maj11. The ASCII root is F#. It is also spelled G♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between F♯ major 11th and F♯ major 9th?
F♯ major 11th adds the 11th, B, to the five notes of F♯ major 9th. The 11th creates a suspended sound against the major third.
Why does the 2nd-fret shape use a barre?
The barre at fret 2 covers the root F♯ on string 5, the fifth C♯ on string 6, and the ninth G♯ on string 2. It frees the other fingers for the 11th and major 7th.